Spencer stood outside her father's hospital room, watching as her old man shuffled around, pretending he wasn't in pain. She had seen the doctor flying down the hall, but made no effort to stop him. And the look she got from her father made it clear he was less than thrilled.
"Why don't you just let him check your sutures Daddy?" Spencer offered something that would make both men agree. "Give me your hat, I know you're superstitious about that."
John sent her a pointed look. "I'm not superstitious."
"Just a little -stitious then," Spencer's tongue poked out at her father as he sat on the bed, laying back to let the doctor examine him.
Now she held in her laughter as best as she could, watching her father's discomfort roll with him in the wheelchair. He sent her another exasperated look, which made the redhead fall into giggles. As soon as they reached the door, John booked it from the chair, leaving Spencer to apologize to the nurse before scurrying to the back of the truck. She watched on as her twin and her father sat in uncomfortable silence, ignoring the looks of help both were sending her. If they wanted to be idiots, she would let them be idiots.
"Kayce if I had known you were going to hit all the bumps, I would've driven," Spencer exclaimed in annoyance at yet another failed attempt to fall asleep.
"Pull over." John all but ordered, sending Kayce to the side of the road. Spencer tipped her hat back, watching the men get out of the truck to walk around. Seeing as she finally had the chance to fall asleep, she took it.
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Spencer awoke to the slowing of the truck as it turned into the front of the Yellowstone. Outside of Kayce's rolled down window stood Walker, and Spencer had to admit this was the happiest she had ever been to be in the man's presence. Something about his tail tucked between his legs with his pack on his back made her practically giddy.
"This ain't the cowboy-ing I signed up for," Walker's forced accent assaulted Spencer's ears as she listened to her father and brother all but plead with the coward to stay on the ranch. "What happened the other night, that's not what I came here to do."
"And what exactly did you come here to do?" Spencer questioned as she rolled down her window. "Because I'm pretty sure fucking my sister wasn't in the job description."
Walker pointed a finger to the red head. "And her and psycho boyfriend. I don't even know who runs this place 'cause of them."
Spencer's lips drew into a wicked smile. "Oh honey, I do. And he does, and so does he. But if you call me or Rip psychotic one more time, it'll be the last time you do anything."
She emphasized each sentence by pointing to Kayce and her father, who nodded along at her statement. Kayce being partially in charge would cause problems, that much Spencer knew, but she needed to give her father and her brother time to see that. So she would play along until they finally got some brain cells to bounce together.
John groaned at his daughter's threats, realizing he may have let her spend too much time with Beth growing up. "Spencer's right, this is our operation, you listen to the three of us, and no one else. Now get your ass back to the bunkhouse."
Walker looked over Spencer's sickeningly sweet expression once again, and couldn't stop the nerves that rolled through him. But he nodded, turning back to the heart of the ranch once again.
Once Kayce started to drive again, John turned to his youngest child. "You are walking a very thin line right now Spencer. Do not test my patience. There are going to be changes made, and you best put a smile on and buck up, you understand?"
Spencer opened her mouth to argue, but let it drop at the look her father sent her through the rearview mirror. And so she nodded instead.
"Good, bring Rip into my office in a little bit, I need to talk to him."
And he didn't let Spencer say a word as he walked away, waving Kayce along with him. She frowned, trying to determine what changes would be made, when she was swept up by Ryan.
"The fuck are you doing?" She hollered, struggling to get out of her friend's grasp.
"Your boyfriend's about to go mental on Walker!"
"So?"
"Spence the only person on this planet that's not scared of Rip is you!"
"Ryan, you're being a little dramatic, don't ya think?"
The look he shot at Spencer made it clear he did not feel like he was being overdramatic. Spencer glanced around, locking eyes with Sawyer, who had been helping in the fields today with the fence. The blonde shook her head, making Spencer realize the situation was as bad as Ryan was making it out to be.
As they approached the bunkhouse, Spencer could hear the yelling and shattering of glass through the closed door. That was never a good sign. Ryan placed her down in front of the door before running back to the rest of the group waiting a good number of yards away. The door creaked as she opened it, drawing the attention of Cowboy, Walker, and Rip. Rip was red in the face, his anger seeping out of every pore of his body as he huffed, but his attention remained solely on Spencer.
"Anyone want to tell me why my wranglers are acting like a bunch of pussies?"
Cowboy looked between Rip and Walker before throwing his hands up as he walked away. Something about not wanting to deal with ranch drama, Spencer wasn't quite sure. But neither of the remaining men spoke up, like two children caught in a tantrum.
"Great well if no one's going to share with the class, Daddy has requested you in his office Rip." Spencer motioned for the door, making Rip hang his head slightly but head off in that direction.
Walker scoffed, "Yeah, listen to your boss ya bitch boy."
Spencer had never spun so quickly in her life. "Listen here, bitch boy, he might not be able to put you in your place anymore, but I sure as hell will. You work for me, don't you fucking forget it. And just like Rip, I will fight you all fucking day. Got it?"
Walker gaped like a fish for a moment but nodded, stalking off to his bunk as Spencer walked away. She sent an ice cold look at the group that was still settled outside, waiting for any of them to see a word as she walked with Rip to the house. It was becoming clear to her that this conversation with her father wasn't going to end well for anyone, and she was beginning to grow nervous.
John had waited a few minutes for his daughter to leave, but the hard look he was getting from her made it clear she was going to be present for this conversation. And that concerned him a little bit.
"Rip, you know I love you like my own, right?"
Rip nodded, "I do, sir."
"And, besides Spencer, you're the only person on this ranch I trust wholeheartedly. Mostly because you don't directly gain anything when I die."
Spencer sucked in a breath. Between his cancer scare and his recent ulcer, Spencer couldn't handle listening to her father talk about death when he had come so close so many times.
John continued on, "You do it for me."
"And for her."
John smiled at the comment, watching as Rip's attention faded to Spencer for a moment before turning back to him. "Good. Because you're not gonna like what I'm about to ask you to do. It's gonna be the hardest thing I ask you to do... Kayce, he needs to learn how to run this place and lead these men. But he can't do that when he's living with them."
Spencer's heart broke as she watched the realization and hurt fall across Rip's face. She knew he would never tell her father no, he would lay his life down for John. But to take away something that Rip had earned, truly and fully on his own? She could feel the pieces of her heart that cracked begin to burn into a fury-filled fire.
Spencer turned her gaze as she watched Rip agree. Not out of pity, no they both knew it wasn't that. She looked away so she didn't have to watch her father crack the heart of the man she loved in half with his own two hands. A kiss was placed hastily on her cheek, and she knew it was Rip leaving the room. Spencer turned a cold gaze to her father, who physically held in a tremble at the intensity that sat in her eyes.
"Do you feel like a man now, Daddy? You feel good about this? Taking something from a son who would give you his life if you asked him to. Rip would pull his heart out of his chest if it made you happy, we all know that. You don't like how he runs this ranch? You have no one to blame but yourself. He is the son you raised him to be. I hope Kayce exceeds your expectations, because I'm done. You. Win. Kayce can have it, all of it. I. Don't. Want. It."
"Tiny-"
"You don't get to call me that. Only my family does. And until you fix this, I am no longer your family. Congratulations Daddy, you're losing children faster than you can find them."
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author's note. i don't think i can go more than 3 chapters without causing some type of dramað